Demountable truck body for railroad transportation



1940. J. G. VALENZUELA .12 75 DEMOUNTABLE TRUCK BODY FOR RAILRUAD TRANSPORTATION Fild March 7. 1959 Patented Nov. 26, 1940 PATENT OFFICE DEMOUNTABLE TRUCK BODY FOR RAILRQAD TRANSPORTATION J os G. Valenzuela, Mexico'GitL'D. I.,Mexico Application March 7, 1939, ASIJl RaIIINO. 260,387 In Mexico June.;30, 19,38

3 Claims.

l his invention relates to demountable truck bodiesior railroad transportation and more particularly to a body adapted for'use in carrying less than acarload load. 1

object of this inventionis to provide a container and =means for supporting the container in a railroad car so that material may be placed inthe container and the container sealedin order that the material in the container may be left sealed therein during the'entire shipment of the material, and the container'is so constructed as to be readily mountable on a truck chassis so that it maybe readily carried to and from the railroad in addition 'to'being transported within a railroad car without opening the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a less than a carloa'd container which includes means for facilitating the positioning of the container within the railroad car andalsomeans for locking the containeragainst movement relative (60 the railroad car.

A further object of this invention :is to provide .thecombination with a ,ra-ilroadcar of-less than ,a carload container and means wi in :the railroad car for positioning the container in the ,desired position within the car. J

To the above objects ,and to others whichymay shereina-fter appear, the invention consists of the :novel construction-combination andarrangement of parts as will be .morespecifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing tWhBlSlYl is shown-embodiments of the invention, but it is tobe understood that changes, variations modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as 'claimed.

' In the drawing:

Figure 1 a detail sideelevation partly broken away and in section of a containerconstructed according to an embodiment of this invention mounted on a truck chassis which is shown in fragmentary form,

Figure 2 is a detail end elevation of thetruck chassis with the container-mounted thereon,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the locking means in released position,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line l-'! of Figure 6, and

'Figure 8 Ba "tragmentary sectional view taken onthe line188 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawing, and first to Figures :1 to 3 inclusive, the numeral I5 designates generallyralcontainer which is adapted to hold arti-- cles ffofl' shipment, ,and in the present instance, theycontainer 1.5 is adapted to be of asize toocoupy substantially all of the space between the floorwand the top ,of the railroad car, butis of a length less thanthe length of the railroad car so that a number of these-containers l5 may be p0- sitioned Within the railroad car. The container 45 is provided with a pluralityof transversely extending beams 16 which are secured to :the .bot- :tomthereof and a pair of ,U-shapedslide-mem- :bers H. The slide members 11 open at the bottom ;thereof and slidably engage over a pair of :parallel beams :or rails :18 which may be secured to the :floor of the railroad car and which may also Joe secured to "the .chassis of a motor vehicle truck; Theichannel members ,H are provided :atspaced intervals along the :bight [9 thereof with .a pmrality of rollers 20 which are carried by bearings t2] and these rollers 20 project partly through 1 openings EZ-provided in the bight l9 :sothat-the rollers will contact with the upper surface ;of g the beams or rails i 8. .Inorder to :provide ameans wherebythe correct :position of the :container al 5 may be readily determined Whentthe container is placed in a car or on a truck, the beams [8 are provided with concave recesses or rollerseats 23. There is a seat 23 for each roller 20 and whenthe bodylor container I5 is in the desired locationall k of the rollers .20 will be seated in a recess .23 so that the channel members I! will rest substan- *tially entirely upon the beams f8.

The rollers 20 provide a means whereby the containers l5 are held against longitudinal or endwise movement on the-rails l 8, but {in order to 'loc'kthe containers against movement 'onthe rails or beams l8, I have provided-a plurality of locking members comprising a locking rod 24 which-is carried by a'housinggenerally designated as 25. The rod 24 at itsinner end is adapted to engage in a socket or keeper 26 which is provided in the side of a rail or beam I8 and these keepers 25 are correlated with the recesses 23 so that when the container I5 is positioned with all of the rollers in their associated recesses 23, the locking bolts 24 will be positioned in a confronting position relative to a keeper 26. The housing comprises a hollow body 21 provided with a flange 28 which is adapted to be secured as by fastening members 29 to one side 30 of the U- shaped member H. The housing is provided with a reduced outwardly tapering extension 3| through which the locking bolt 24 slidably engages. The side or leg of the channel member I! is provided with a bolt guide opening 32 which registers with the opening 33 provided in the outer wall 34 of the extension 3|, The bolt 24 at its outer end is provided with a looped handle 35 and when thebolt 23 is in a locked position, the inner portion of the handle 25 is adapted to seat in a U-shaped seat 36 carried by the outer wall plate 38 fixed thereto which is provided with a.

pair of diametrically opposed slots 39 which are adapted to be turned to register with the opposed lugs 31 so that the bolt holding plate 38 may be moved to a position shown in Figure 6 in which position the plate 33 is turned at right angles to the lugs 31 and the plate 38 is held against inward movement by the lugs 31. The plate 38 and the bolt 24 are constantly urged to a looking position by a spring 43 which is in the reduced housing 3! and at one end bears against the outer wall 34' of the housing 3| and at its inner end bears-against the plate 38. The reduced housing 3| is preferably braced by a pair of bracing webs 42 which extend from the housing 3i to the outer portion of the housing 25.

It will be possible with a combination as disclosed in the drawing for shippers to seal the articles which arebeing shipped in containers and the consignees may remove the containers from the car in the original condition of the container. This will make it unnecessary for the railroad to handle the different articles which are being shipped as is at present the case, and in this manner the articles will-arrive at their destination in substantially their original condition. 'In addition to this, the provision of less than carload containers similar to the containers hereinbefore described will facilitate the transportation of the articles to and from the railroad and will make it possible to eliminate various small sidings which are now necessary to remove the articles from the freight cars.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a mobile structure, a pair of spaced parallel guide members within, disposed lengthwise ,of and fixed to said structure, a container, spaced parallel transversely extending beams secured to and depending from the bottom of the container, a pair of spaced parallel inverted U-shaped slide members disposed in lengthwise relation with respect to the bottom of the container, said slide members having their bights secured at spaced portions thereof to said beams, said slide members being disposed in depending relation with respect to said beams and each having its bight formed lengthwise thereof with spaced pairs of spaced openings, each of said slide members having its bight seated on the top of and its sides opposing the sides of one of said guide members, a pair of spaced parallel bearings disposed on the top of the bights of the slide members at the sides of each opening in a bight, a pair of spaced rollers mounted in each pair of spaced openings and each supported at its axis by a pair of said spaced bearings, said rollers having portions thereof spaced from their axes depending through said openings, and said guide members having their upper surfaces formed with recesses for receiving the lower part of the depending portions of said rollers to thereby position said container relative to said structure.

2. In combination, a mobile structure, a pair of spaced parallel guide members within, disposed lengthwise of and fixed to said structure, a container, spaced parallel transversely extending beams secured to and depending from the bottom of the container, a pair of spaced parallel inverted Ll-shaped slide members disposed in lengthwise relation with respect to the bottom of the container, said slide members having their bights secured at spaced portions thereof to said beams, said slide members being disposed in depending relation with respect to said beams and each having its bight formed lengthwise thereof with spaced pairs of spaced openings, each of said slide members having its bight seated on the top of and its sides opposing the sidesof one of said guide members, a pair of spaced parallel bearings disposed on the top of the bights of the slide members at the sides of each opening in a bight, a pair of spaced rollers mounted in each pair of spaced openings and each supported at its axis by a pair of said spaced bearings, said rollers having portions thereof spaced from their axes depending through said openings, and said guide members having their upper surfaces formed with recesses for receiving the'lower part of the depending portions of said rollers to thereby position said container relative to said structure, each of said beams having spaced portions arranged between rollers of said opposed pairs of rollers.

3. In railroad transportation, a mobile struc ture, a' pair of spaced parallel guide members within, disposed lengthwise of and fixed to said structure, said guide members having their outer sides provided with spaced sockets, a mobile container for removably mounting on said guide members and having longitudinally extending depending parts for overlapping the outer sides of said members, said parts being formed with openings for registry with said sockets, and a plurality of spaced latching structures secured to the outer side of each of said parts and including releasable spring controlled means normally extending through said openings into said sockets for latching said container to said mobile structure.

JosE' G. VALENZUELA. 

